Meditations on the Abyss

Part I

The trip through hyperspace had been both brief and uneventful but had given Aleina time to grow apprehensive about returning to visit her old Master. She had not seen Neabel in over two years, since she officially entered the employ of the Falleen and his E.P.O.C.H. Agency.
Dropping out of hyperspace brought with it the usual flood to her senses as the billions of souls became distinct enough to be heard once more, just outside of her peripheral consciousness. The Sith Interceptor glided through the blackness with the ease and elegance of a bird on the wind, its shape cutting a precise line through the cosmos.

As per the supplied co-ordinates she navigated toward a large barren moon, the third planetoid in the system and neighbour to Felucia. As her ship made its way past the huge sphere she saw it; moving out of the shadow behind the moon: the great and regal 'Omen'.
As the cruiser came out of the darkness the stars lit it up like some vast beast, magnificent against the sea of black. Of unique design, there was no other ship in the galaxy like her, and for much of Aleina's life she called it home.

Fully aware that the Omen's advanced sensors had picked up the presence of her ship the moment it entered realspace, she wasted no time in contacting them.

“This is Darth Fel, security code one-seventy six, dash Fel A-one. Requesting permission to dock. ”

The response was almost immediate but it was not a voice Aleina recognized. Male with a good grasp of Galactic Basic and a slight accent, it seemed most likely the voice belonged to a Human or Near Human. It appeared her old Master had instigated some staff changes in her absence.

“Roger that, security code and bio-signature confirmed. You're cleared for landing in Docking Bay two. Welcome back, ma'am.”



Gathering her modest belongings, Aleina descended the cargo ramp of the Interceptor adorned in her ceremonial robes knowing full well that Neabel was a stickler for both tradition and etiquette. Under it her lightsaber was holstered against the cold alabaster skin of her right thigh, ever ready to be drawn and used in battle. Her old Master impressed on her how nowhere was safe, and that one must always remain vigilant and on-guard. Even here.

There were the usual flurry of maintenance crew and droids scattered about the docking bay and although she expected to be greeted and escorted by one of Neabel's protocol droids as was the norm on her visits, she was met instead by a robed figure who stood patiently at the bottom of the ramp and bowed respectfully before pulling back their hood to reveal a quite young but stern-looking male Zabrak.

“Greetings Lady Fel, ” He said cordially but with the slightest hint of caution. “I am known as Harix Vol and if you will excuse the presumptuousness I thought I might come and meet you in person as Lord Deimos is currently indisposed.”

Looking the newcomer over she nodded in response, her dark red eyes falling on him and focusing sharply.
“I did not expect Master Deimos to be available upon my arrival and as it happens I am earlier than arranged. The journey from Coruscant was quicker than expected, I am almost a day ahead of schedule.”

She raised an eyebrow then, the formalities concluded.

“'Vol' you say? Then you are the Master's new student. What of Forden? Is he still aboard the ship?”

Harix shook his spined head as the two walked across the expanse of the docking bay toward the lift, subordinates hurryng to clear their path as they did so.

"Forden has taken up the title of Darth Skeanar, since concluding his training with the Master last month, M'lady. He departed Omen shortly after though I am not privvy to his whereabouts. Perhaps Master Deimos might be able to enlighten you on the subject?"

Letting her eyes slip Herix's direction but facing ahead as she walked, Aleina could sense deep distrust, fear and more than a little envy from Neabel's new plaything. Good, she thought to herself.

"Perhaps I may at that," She replied as she entered the lift, Harix is tow. "I trust arrangements have been made for my arrival?"

Vol nodded in confirmation, still unsure how to treat her. He'd heard many stories of her violence towards the crew members who had upset her in the past, her cruelty was well known.

"Yes, Ma'am. In fact your original quarters have been left unoccupied at the request of the Master. I will arrange for your belongings to be taken there and you will find everything as you left it when you were last here."

When the Hapan woman did not reply or even seem to acknowledge his response, Harix thought for a moment then decided to try to take the initiative.

"As the Master will be in conference for a little while longer I was wondering if you would care to join me for some food and refreshments? The mess hall is generally empty at this time of the evening, I thought we could.....aquaint ourselves with one another?"

Her head snapped in his direction then, eyes glowing an eerie red. He immediately realised his mistake and involuntarily found himself almost shrinking down away from the woman.

Initially insulted at his crass forwardness, the thought occured to Aleina that this young Apprentice almost definately knew of her reputation and yet still had the audacity to propose a meeting as if they were equals. She had killed others for less and knew that if she wanted she could crush the life from him with the merest thought, as was her right.
And yet, she found herself impressed by his bravery and meager attempts at social manipulation. He reminded her a little of herself, so many years ago.

To Harix's confusion and relief her stern visage melted and a smile crossed her black lips.

"Very well, Harix Vol. Lead on."

Part II

As Harix had implied the mess hall was all but deserted when the two Force Users entered, the vast majority of the crew of Omen were elsewhere on the ship and the usually bustling area was silent. The only other presence was that of a servitor droid who appeared to be disposing of uneaten food and preparing the hall for a state of inactivity when it noticed Vol and Aleina arrive and instead began collecting various food-stuffs together in case a meal was required.

"What would you like to eat, Lady Fel?" Harix began as the two walked toward the food service station.

A quick glance over the food was met with a slightly dissapointed expression accompanied by a raised eyebrow as if she had expected better.

"Just get me a portion of Tiingilar, I will collect us some drinks. I assume a synth-ale will suffice?" Aleina said as she broke away from Vol and headed toward a beverage refridgeration unit. Harix noticed that she wasn't really asking, more informing him that a synth-ale will suffice, but still found himself calling "Yes, that will be fine. Thank-you," after her.

By the time the Zabrak had informed the servitor droid of their choice of food, Aleina was already sitting at one of the smaller tables with a syth-ale in hand, another placed at the seat opposite. Harix couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy at the close quarters she had chosen, there were several larger four, five and even six-seater tables yet she had chosen a small intimate one meant for two. He was new to Neabel's instruction but was no fool, he did not see it as a sign of any romantic interest from the Hapan woman, rather he was reminded of her reputation of intense cruelty and love of manipulation. As he took a seat opposite her it felt like he was doing so with a Altagak.

Sliding the glass across to him Aleina took a sip of her drink and Herix did the same, feeling no less comfortable. Glancing over her shoulder toward the food court he could see the droid preparing the food but knew it would be at least a couple of moments. An awkward silence was already beginning to brew between them, or at least it seemed that way from Vol's perspective; Fel was merely sitting in silent contemplation. Not wanting to get on the bad side of one of Neabel's greatest students, he decided it would be wise to initiate conversation with her, get to know the woman a little better.

"I've looked forward to finally meeting you; the records of your time here on Omen are extensive and frankly, impressive. They mention very little about the woman behind the name however, or where you came from..."

Placing her glass upon the table she looked up slowly and caught his gaze with intensity, much like she had done in the lift.
"Searching for a weakness to exploit?"

Almost spraying his drink all over the table, Harix instead swallowed the drink hard.
"No! of course not, I -"

"Well you should be. You're Sith. Finding the enemies weakness and using it against them is one of the most basic of training methods, something I very much doubt Lord Deimos has neglected to teach you."

"You speak as if we were enemies...so I should expect nothing less from you?"

"I am no Sith." Her tone didn't seem annoyed, more matter-of-fact.

He threw her a genuinely confused expression.
"You're not? but you carry the title of Darth, you have trained under Master Deimos..."

Picking up the synth-ale once more and taking a gentile mouthful, Aleina closed her dark red eyes as she did so.
"I carry the name Darth Fel to honour the intent of Master Deimos naming me so, but I am not a member of the Sith Order, nor a member of the Jedi. I am not in service of the Emperor nor the Jedi Council, and ally myself with both the Empire and Republic, as the situation demands."

"I have to admit this is something of a shock. Are you an independant agent then?"

For the first time since they had sat down, Harix saw her smile, but he wish he hadn't; it was like a Nexu baring its teeth before a kill.
"After a fashion. My loyalties lie to Neabel and......one other."

Just then the droid wandered over and put down a plate of Tiingilar in front of Aleina and a bowl of Stewed gwouch before Harix. Without saying anything it bowed politely and returned to the food court to continue its tidying.

"So what is it you wish to know of me, young Zabrak?" She continued as she picked up a piece of the food with the eating utensil, examined it and place it back on the plate. "Would you know of my childhood? or how I met our Master perhaps?"

Harix looked down at his bowl, he felt that no matter what he tried he was destined to upset the dark mistress. "I am eager to learn all I can my lady, but I do not wish to pry. Whatever information you wish to share would be appreciated, I wish only to learn of those who have come before me. Master Deimos has a rather....rigerous training regimen and I hoped understanding those before me might help my chances."

Fel shrugged then, implying that she couldn't truly see how a simple background check on her could aid in his situation, but she relented nonetheless.

"The potted version is that I was born to Derryn & Lana Fel of the city of Ta'a Chume'Dan on the planet of Hapes. Mother was Ministry of Finance and Father was Hapan Royal Guard. I have four sisters, being Aeshana, Meletna, Briana and Ellora of which I am the youngest." She stopped for a moment and sported that rather sinister smile again.
"All are alive and well, and will remain so. They are under my protection and are secretly under supervision from allies."

Harix, not for the first time, looked paniced and under scrutiny.

"I..."

"I was trained in the ways of etiquette and ladylike behaviour from the moment I could walk on two feet, as all Hapan women are. " She continued, giving Vol no chance to interrupt."At age three it was discovered that I was Force Sensitive, or so I am told as I barely remember those days. The Jedi Council were contacted and I was shortly taken from my world and my future by an Arkanian Jedi Knight known as Kordath Tavik. My memory of him is hazy at best, but I do remember his eyes - piercing white like tiny stars, they looked like they could bore into your very soul if he so wished."

Stopping for another sip of Synth-ale, she continued.

"There was an....accident on route to the Jedi Academy on Coruscant and our ship was attacked. Tavik was killed while I was stored in hiding. Eventually I was picked up by traders as the ship drifted past the planet Balmora. I.......lived there for a time before I was found my Neabel, and brought aboard Omen. The rest you know." Raising her left eyebrow quizzically and she looked the Zabrak over, she continued:

"What of you, young Vol? I was not even aware the Master was even taking on another Apprentice. Tell me of yourself."

Harix seemed slightly taken aback, but saw no harm in repeating what Aleina could find out from Neabel's records anyway.

"Me? Well lets see...I was born on Iridonia as the vast majority of my people are. My mother is dead, but I was trained to be a warrior by my father. I was discovered to be in possession of The Force early on but my father feels the Jedi are intrusive and antiquated." Running his hand across his chin in thought, Vol continued. "I never really found out why he dislikes them so much, he never speaks of it. Anyway, I used my connection to the Force as best I could with no teacher, learning to augment my fighting abilities to anticipate the moves of my enemies and enhance my acrobatics. Neabel came to my world two years ago and found me fighting with a horde of Noshakk Hounds. Though my fighting skills are, if I say so myself, quite exceptional; I had only managed to fend off twenty-two of the thirty-seven hounds that were attacking my homestead before I was close to being overwhelmed. Neabel stepped in to aid me, and we drove the remaining numbers away. After explaining who he was and what he represented, the Master gave me what it appears the Jedi never gave you - a choice."

With a reminicant smile, he concluded:

"I accepted, of course."

Aleina nodded as she searched his eyes for any signs of deception. Finding none, she realised he had a certain sense of pride in his accomplishments thus far.

"I see. So you would say you are loyal to Lord Deimos then, Harix?" She said, still holding his gaze.

The Zabrak nodded as he took a mouthful of the stew and then wiped his chin with the sleeve of his robe.

"Oh, absolutely. I owe the Master everything."

"Excellent. Then the poison may not have to be used after all."

Dropping his spoon into his bowl of gwouch, it landed with a spash as the stew sprayed onto the table and the colour began to drain from Harix's face.

"P-poison?"

"Yes, the poison I put in your Synth-ale, of course."

Harix face slowly moved down and toward his almost emptied glass as if in slow-motion. In disbelief he picked it up and looked at it.

"But....why?"

Aleina sat back and took a satisfied sip from her own - non-poisoned - Synth-ale.

"Oh don't look so frightened, young Harix. It is merely a protective measure, I assure you. You see, this poison is quite special. It comes in two parts, both of which are quite ineffectual and dormant without the other. The first part," She said, her long slender fingers motioning to the glass, "Was in your drink. It is a most potent yet subtle poison. You will find it will not show up on any medical scanners, nor can it be detected by use of the Force. No, this little....surprise will just remain in your system for years; unseen...quiet....waiting. Without the second part of the poison it is quite useless, it will degrade into nothingness in, say...fifty or so years."

The colour began to return to Harix's face then, his fear giving way to anger. Aleina watched as he clenched his fists. He wanted to lash out at her, rip her still beating heart from her chest and show it to her as the light faded from her eyes. Yet he could not, to do so would ensure his own death, so he restrained, held back. It was delightful.

"You said what you did, but not why.." Vol said through gritted teeth.

Finishing her drink, Aleina placed it down gently on the table and shrugged once again.

"I told you, it is a protective measure. It is to ensure your loyalty."

"Loyalty?! to you? she who would poison me on our first meeting? how da-"

Harix's words were cut short as he was hit with an invisble force across the face, flinging his head to one side. Reaching up he felt a line of blood across his cheek as if he had been clawed across the face. Aleina remained motionless, just glaring at him.

"Mind your manners, Apprentice Vol. Be wary of your place in the scheme of things, you are not irreplacable." She paused then for a moment as he returned her glare, furious with her treatment of him but wise enough to not antagonise the situation.

"I require no loyalty from you, Harix, nor would I expect any. I require your loyalty to Neabel, to Lord Deimos. If you work against him or plot his downfall I will ensure that you come into contact with the second part of the poison and then, you will be quite dead."

It was obvious that Harix anger was being mixed with equal confusion.

"I just told you I was loyal to Neabel! He gave me a new life, why would I turn on him?"

Showing her first signs of not being in complete control, Aleina's passion got the better of her as she leaned forward and sounded decidedly angry.

"Because you are Sith, Harix Vol. 'Treachery is the way of the Sith'. Sooner or later you will turn on our Master, you will crave too much power and you will attempt to replace him. I will not allow that to happen. You may owe the Master for all the opportunities he has given you, but you do not owe him your life; not as I do. Never forget, if you move against him, you die."

Utterly infuriated and ready to lash back at her, Harix leaned forward to meet her challenge but was interrupted by the sound of a loudspeaker going off in the mess hall, it was the voice of the Human that had addressed Aleina as she was docking with the ship.

"Darth Fel and Harix Vol please report immediately to the conference hall. Master Deimos wishes to speak with you."

Pushing back her chair and getting gracefully to her feet, Aleina placed her glass upon the table and smiled in Harix's direction.

"Well, it seems the Master is ready to see us. Thank-you for the meal, your hospitality and your company, Harix Vol. Shall we?"

Still seated, Harix just glared and tried to stop himself from gnashing his teeth.

Part III

The Dark Jedi and Sith Apprentice entered the large and auspicious central chamber of the ship, its dark and sinister architecture dominating all but the opposite end of the expanse.

At the far end of the room sat Lord Deimos - 'Neabel' - on an extravagant and wicked looking throne, his shrouded form backlit against a stunning planetary vista encompassing the entire scene outside the viewing port window. He was shadowed by two guards in heavily modified Sith Trooper armour of a unique configuration and he was currently in conversation with a large and brutal-looking Chistori.

Although Harix was fairly unfamiliar with the reptilian, Aleina knew him well. He was known as Massar, a violent and ruthless creature; even for a Chistori. Slavishly loyal to Neabel after the Sith Lord saved his life on Ossus, Aleina felt a kinship of familiarity with the creature and though she trusted nobody, she considered him an ally.

Seeing Harix and Aleina enter, Neabel concluded whatever business he had with Massar whom he dismissed with a wave of his hand. Bowing deeply the Chistori left his side and proceeded to leave through the same door the two newcomers hand entered from. With a respectful nod to Aleina - which was returned - the towering saurian left them to their meeting.

Approaching the Sith Lord the two instinctively went down on one knee and bowed their heads out of respect and remained until Deimos spoke.

"Arise Darth Fel, Apprentice Vol." His voice was calming and soft, without any of the sinister overtones associated with a Dark Lord of the Sith. Aleina, having been his best student of eloquence however, knew that it was a carefully crafted exterior and that Neabel down-played his demeanor considerably.

Returning to a standing position the two walked toward Lord Deimos, and he leaned back in his throne and smiled as the did so, his hood still covering the upper part of his face.

"I see you have met my new Apprentice, Aleina. I trust Harix has treated you well?" He said with the slightest hint of sarcasm.

"He has, my Lord." She said without turning to Vol. "Very well."

The Zabrak's anger and forced restraint was rolling off him in waves.

"So my dear," Neabel continued. "Was your mission successful?"

The Dark Jedi nodded to her old Master.

"Yes, my Master. I have infiltrated the Agency as you requested. They are a varied group of specialists; mercenaries, black op agents and even a couple of Force users."

The Dark Lord nodded and a sly smile crept across his lips. "And what of their Leader, this... 'Falleen'?"

"'Enigmatic' would be the best term," she conceded. "I've spent considerable time in his presence in the last year yet I am no nearer to understanding many truths about him."

"I see... and do you trust him?"

"No, but I do respect him. His loyalty to his Agents - myself included - is absolute." As and afterthought she added: "So long as they remain loyal to him and the ideals of The Agency, that is. His retribution for betrayal is....creative. You'd like him."

Running his long thin fingers across his chin in thought, Neabel continued his line of inquiry.

"Do you think this Agency will suit our purpose, in the long run?"

Again she nodded, as she walked past Deimos and stared out of the viewing port window at the stunning scene of the gently rotating planet below.

"Yes, I think when the time comes we can rely on them for support. They have no love for the Empire or the Republic, their ideals are less black and white." She hung her head slightly then, reluctant to continue but with a slight sigh she did so.
"However, there is something I must tell you, my Lord. If you wish me to harm this Falleen at any point I'm afraid I cannot comply, you would have to get someone else to do such as task. For a reason I cannot really go into, I owe him much and will not harm him."

"Nor would I ask you to, Aleina." came the voice of Neabel from behind her. "In fact I want you to return to the Agency. Your part to play is far from done with them and I need you there where I know my interests can be followed. I will not interfere as I trust you to do what needs to be done, all I ask is that you send me an update every half-year."

Turning around Aleina raised an eyebrow in surprise. "For how long, Master?"

"Indefinitely." came the response.

Before she could respond the sound of the internal comm went off followed by the now-familiar sound of the Human that greeted her on her arrival.

"Apologies for the interruption Lord Deimos, but there is a small fighter craft on an intercept course with Omen."

Rising from his throne and immediately flanked by his guards he joined Aleina at the viewing port and Harix came and stood beside them. A small ship came out of the shadow of the planet and from under his hood Neabel grinned a wide smile before saying:

"That's a Jedi starfighter," The comment was directed as much to the open comms line as it was to the people around him. "Surely they must know that pitting themselves against a battle-cruiser is suicide? What do they want?"

"They're requesting permission to dock, my Lord." echoed the voice over the comm. "They say they're here to see Lady Aleina."

Neabel turned to her then and a glint from his eyes was briefly evident under his hood.

"Well, this should be interesting...."

PartIV

As Aleina walked into the docking bay the sun was just crowning the horizon of the planet Omen was orbiting. Golden beams stretched across the face of the world, bathing the continents that currently faced the star in light.

A new dawn.

The Jedi starfighter was already in the docking bay and using its manoeuvring thrusters to land next to her own Sith craft as she disrobed and placed the elegant crimson garb on a cargo crate. As the Human Jedi emerged from his ship she met him garbed in her red and black durasteel-weave jumpsuit.

The Jedi took long strides and walked with a focused confidence, dressed in some form of personal body armour with a long and elaborate cloak trailing behind him. He was Human, though his planet of origin was unclear. If she had to guess, Aleina thought he looked Corellian or Coruscant-born due to his pale complexion and light brown hair - which he wore short and possessed no padawan braid. So, he was a Knight....or above.

As the gap between the two lessened, Aleina looked up to the viewing balcony that surrounded the docking bay - usually reserved for snipers - and saw Master Deimos watching on with silent interest, Harix at his side sporting a sneer. If this meeting came to blows, she knew the Zabrak would be hoping the Jedi be victorious.

They were less than fifteen feet apart now, and Aleina decided that regardless of the Jedis intent, courtesy was a free commodity to offer a stranger.

"Welcome Jedi, I am Aleina Fel. I hear you wished to see me?"

The Jedi reached into his cloak and pulled a lightsaber from an internal strap and brought it out in front of him, igniting its blade in a brilliant blue column of light as he did so.

"I am Jedi Knight Rahvin Thelcar, miss Fel. Yes, I did wish to see you, so that I might see the light drain from your eyes as I kill you."

Slightly taken aback by the man's uncharacteristically un-jedi comment, she nevertheless did not doubt his intent. He moved with purpose and definitely intended her harm. In response she took up a defensive posture and drew her own lightsaber, its eerie red glow illuminating the area around her.

"Might I know the reason for my....execution?" She queried, using the time to familiarize herself with his movement patterns, how he held the blade, where his eyes were tracking.

"Simple retribution. You killed my Master when I was but a Padawan. I intend to redraw the the balance and bring equilibrium to both myself and the Force."

"Your Master?" She replied as she feigned surprise while accessing her combat options. "Regretfully you will have to be more specific, Thelcar."

The Jedi Knight went wide-eyed at her comment and picked up his pace, infuriated.

"Have you killed so many that you no longer remember their names, witch? No longer remember their faces?!"

Strong anger is welling in him, she thought. Excellent. Either he is inexperienced or I have hit a raw nerve. Either option works.

"I speak of the man sent by the Jedi Council to retrieve you from Hapan and train you in the ways of the Jedi! The man who saw greatness in you, Aleina. The man you butchered sixteen years ago. Jedi Knight Kordath Tavik."

For a second time since their meeting Aleina found herself genuinely surprised and this time, a twinge of hurt arrived with it. That name conjured up her horrific childhood and the abuse that came with it.

"Tavik? Do you really believe it was I who slew him? I always harboured the illusion that the Jedi taught wisdom and research, Thelcar. How then, do you think, could a three-year old girl with no Force training best and kill a fully-fledged Jedi Knight?" Yet the Jedi showed no sign of slowing, less than eight feet existed between the two force-users now and Aleina was ready.

"This act does not seem the sort of thing the Jedi Council would endorse, either. Do they know that you are pursuing a personal vendetta? Are they aware you are being ruled by your emotions and passions, Rahvin?"

The anger seemed to subside in the Jedi Knights face, though Aleina could feel it had been replaced by something far more potent and - to her - familiar: focused, calm hatred. The red mist had fell from him, replaced with a precise malice with the intricacy of a surgeon’s scalpel.

"You underestimate my resolve, Fel." he retorted. "The Jedi Council knows nothing of this, nor shall they if I have my way about it. All that matters to me now is your death, removing you from the Galaxy would be like healing a festering cancer and what happens to me after is of little consequence."

"Spoken like a true Sith." She sneered venomously.

"Enough of this. Defend yourself, witch!" The Jedi Knight leapt forward then, closing the gap between them and forcing Aleina into a mêlée.


Lightsabers clashed as sparks of red and blue sprung from the blades, accompanied by the characteristic hum and crackle of the weapons. The two combatants parried each other’s blows but neither gained much footing in the fight. Aleina pushed the Jedi away from her, creating a small space between them and forcing them to disengage, ready to strike again. The two began to encircle one another, prowling one around the other like Spukamas challenging each other over food.

With lightning-fast speed augmented by the Force, Thelcar suddenly bolted forward and shoulder-barged Aleina and hitting her so hard she was lifted from the ground and thrown back several feet, losing her grip on her lightsaber as she did so.

Slamming painfully into the docking bay floor, she rolled onto her back just in time to see the form of Thelcar high above her, using the Force once again but this time to enhance his ability to jump. Almost twenty feet above her he was descending rapidly with his saber down-facing, ready to impale her. With considerable effort she rolled away at the last moment as the blue blade sunk into the docking bay floor with a hiss.

Outstretching her hand Aleina dragged her lightsaber to her telekinetically and got to her feet just as Thelcar pulled the blade from the floor and turned to face her. Feeling the warm trickle of blood running down her left temple, Aleina snarled at the infidel and outstretched her free hand before roaring angrily at him as purplish-blue lightning erupted from her fingertips, arching straight towards him.

The Jedi Knight was fast to react, but not fast enough being temporarily drained from his use of the force. The lightning caught him in the chest and enveloped his entire body almost instantly, causing him to cry out in pain and anguish as Aleina slowly walked toward him, her eyes glowing a sinister red and the veins under her pale white skin growing black as she welled with dark energies.

"How dare you come here, to this place, and presume superiority over us...over me! She hissed, not looking entirely human anymore. "Foolish boy. The Dark Side is not something to be feared as your antiquated Jedi Council proclaims. It is a source of power, true power. Your pathetic Jedi teachings merely scratch at the surface of something far greater, something old and dark. Only through giving into your fear will you conquer it. Only by facing the Darkness can you claim it, become one with it."

Despite the pain, the burning of his flesh and scarring of his soul, Rahvin was able to reply.

"I care.......nothing for your 'Dark Side'....witch...." He struggled against her control, fighting back against her energies. In response Aleina merely pushed harder, forcing more energy through his body.
"Arrrrrrrrrgh!" He wailed in agony. "All....that....matters is that you.....DIE!"

With a herculean effort the Jedi Knight sent out a wave of Force energy so strong that it broke Aleina's concentration and forced her back several feet as if she were being assaulted by unseen winds of incredible strength. Unable to maintain her hold on the man the lightning vanished and he collapsed to his knees.

As the two slowly got to their feet, exhausted by the powerful Force energies they had already unleashed, they locked eyes and both realized the other was unwilling to back down. Simultaneously they re-ignited their lightsabers and charged at one another again, possibly for the last bout.

The distance between them began to vanish, a final confrontation was mere feet away. Then suddenly and without warning Thelcar slowed and his blade went out as his arm went limp and it dropped to the floor with a clank. Stopping dead in his tracks his head turned to the right and upwards, staring in horror at Neabel who had walked out of the shadows of the balcony to observe the combat more closely.

Aleina was startled by the turn of events but was not about to miss an opportunity and knew Thelcar would not leave her until she was dead.

Reaching inside of herself and pulling dark energies from the most hidden parts of her soul her eyes lost their red hue and turned pupilless black as she sheathed her lightsaber and outstretched her hands in front of her.

Thelcar lifted effortlessly off the ground, showing no resistance as he merely continued to stare in Deimos' direction. Aleina began to employ her move devastating use of the Dark Side.

All her hate. All her anger. All for him.

Thelcar suddenly began to spasm and his arms began to buckle and snap, making horrific cracking noises as they compressed, bones crushing into one another and ligaments snapping. Blood began to escape and spray from his joints where the skin was broken as Aleina began to literally crush his entire body using the Force. He cried out but no sound could be heard properly over the slow crushing of his form, arms and legs utterly destroyed as they hung as crumpled, dripping sacks of meat.

So engrossed in her carnage was Aleina that she barely heard him when he spoke, but it was enough to make her stop and free his crumpled and ruined form as it slumped to the floor. Her vision began to clear as she considered what he had said - not something a man would normally say in his death-throes: "I am so terribly sorry, Aleina..."

In an uncharacteristically unusual show of compassion she went to him then, and knelt down in his blood. Cradling his destroyed and dying form, she question Thelcar.

"You are sorry? I do not understand your behaviour, Thelcar. You came here intent on killing me then apologise when you cannot? I -"

"I...I saw it Aleina, saw it in....his mind." Thelcar struggled to speak, but he was insistant, coughing up blood all the while, that his last words would be heard. "I've tracked you all these years.....hated you for killing Tavik.....but it was never you. It was him. Deimos killed Tavik to get to you, Aleina."

"What? I.."

Thelcar grabbed desperately at her collar and pulled her in close, as his last breath failed him.

"He's using you, Aleina. He's using you!"


fin

Here's a little short story about your Chief Operative so you guys can get to know her a little better ^^

It'll give me something to do over the xmas break while I'm stuck in work, its in 4 parts.
I thought rather than start up a seperate discussion thread I'd try to keep things tidier and open up this area following the story for anyone who wants to chat about it.

Hope y'all enjoy it

Looks good L-Dubz I especially like how the pictures and bolded words break up the text to maintain intrest to the reader. I often get bored with large blocks of text even if the content may be gripping. (I think I might steal your idea if I get onto doing a story for Skursir) I'm looking forward to the next installment. Although I need to ask a question, does Aleena treat Sith differently to Agents?

Cheers bud ^^

Harlequin2 wrote:

Although I need to ask a question, does Aleena treat Sith differently to Agents?

To be honest she treats everyone with the same level of contempt, even force users of any type - basically, because she had such a rough upbringing she tends to only repsect people if they can prove they are superior to her in some way or another:

Aleena's Wiki; 'Personality' Section wrote:

[She] always treats others with polite courtesy, even if she considers them beneath contempt. This politeness has a cruel edge to it however, and she often keeps up the pretence even when inflicting pain on others.
Often planning many steps ahead, most things that Aleena does are part of a plan even if no such pattern exists for others to follow. Unashamedly selfish and self-serving, she desires much and expects even more, only showing loyalty to those who can best her in one way or another. To her respect must be proven, be it at the tip of a light-saber, in a diplomacy hall or in the bed of a lover.

Plus she's not exactly the trusting sort...

Aleena's Wiki; 'Relationships' Section wrote:

Aleena has trouble forming meaningful, long-term relationships due in the most part to the abuse she suffered as a child.
The physcial and mental scarring took their toll and true trust is an alien concept to her. She can tolerate people, like and even love them but she never completely trusts anyone beyond herself, always waiting for when they will turn on her and betray her. Even Deimos, her master and mentor is not above such suspicion, Aleena believes he will try to do away with her when the time comes.

As for using the same style of layout for future use, please feel free

Poor Harix. She's gonna eat him alive...

Great story dood, can't wait to read more!

awww cheers! and don't worry, Zabrak's are 'ard bastids - Vol can handle himself

Remind me never to ask Aleena for a drink in case she kill me on for merely asking
Nice opening LW looking forward to seeing where this is going and I see you put those horns I linked to good use, i really need to use them to make Jylan

Yep them Horns work just fine

As for offering Aleena a drink, maybe you should have warned Eamonn before he went and did so... *points @ the Hyperion*

Lunarwolf wrote:

As for offering Aleena a drink, maybe you should have warned Eamonn before he went and did so... *points @ the Hyperion*

lol I was thinking that . But he can take care of himself. He's not scared of any giiiiirl. And he's killed, like, millions of Jedi and Sith. So he'd win any fight.

Harewood wrote:

And he's killed, like, millions of Jedi and Sith. So he'd win any fight.

Darth Salazar's secret apprentice revealed!

Part 2 is finally up - sorry for the huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge delay!

Ho-boy, I hope Deimos appreciates her gesture. Myself, I'd be careful of meddling in any Master-Apprentice relationships, no matter my intentions!

Nice storytelling Mr Lunarwolf. Brilliant character portrayal and I love the SW in-universe references.

Cheers, glad you're enjoying it. That second part turned out to be a lot longer than I was expecting, but then again I had a fair bit of conversation to cover :S

Part 3 is now uploaded.

I hope you don't mind me using your creation of Neabel / Deimos too much PJK, he and his Chistori guard seemed so bored after AWS that I just had to give the poor guys some air-time!

Ooooh! Aleena the traitor? Hm. I wonder what the Falleen would think if he overheard this conversation? This also wants me to make Skursir's story deeper - you writing is so compelling! Good luck on the fourth part as well.

hehehe cheers mate!

Well technically she's not so much a traitor as a double agent - from Deimos' side of things she's merely an observer, she's not meant to do anything to the agency except evaluate them for a possible future alliance.

She's loyal to TMF though, and would die to save his life if necc. At some point before launch Paul & I will get together and explain how the two met and at that point, you'll see she owes him the SW equivilent of a life-debt.

But yeah, I think it's best she doesn't mention Neabel to the Falleen, just in case

Great stuff as always! Can't wait to read the final instalment of this!

Harewood wrote:

Great stuff as always! Can't wait to read the final instalment of this!

Mota PartIV wrote:

Part IV

The Jedi turns up, Aleena realises it an old friend form her childhood. They embrace, swap stories and bugger off on his ship, forsaking this whole silly Sith business and open a flower shop on Alderaan.

Ha! ok so that might not be how it concludes

Methinks it's Hollister/Ree (or whatever character you've got lined up). He or she has tracked Aleena down to Neable and threatens to tell the head green-guy. Aleena gets upset, kills the chap (effective way of removing over-crowded alts) and blames it on an airlock incident.
There! Your Part IV all mangled-like

Haha nice theory! Anyone else got any?

Love it, love it, love it. Looking forward to the next part.

As for theories of who the Jedi is, its obviously Commander Shepard, recruiting for a suicide mission. That guy is always turning up in his little ship looking to recruit people.

Humans are disappearing. That can't happen. Now the fate of humanity lies with a Hapan and a bunch of other weirdos. They don't expect him to survive, but that never stopped him before. Assemble your team. Fight for the lost. Rated M for Mature.

Oh wait, wrong IP.

Smudge wrote:

Love it, love it, love it. Looking forward to the next part.

As for theories of who the Jedi is, its obviously Commander Shepard, recruiting for a suicide mission. That guy is always turning up in his little ship looking to recruit people.

Humans are disappearing. That can't happen. Now the fate of humanity lies with a Hapan and a bunch of other weirdos. They don't expect him to survive, but that never stopped him before. Assemble your team. Fight for the lost. Rated M for Mature.

Oh wait, wrong IP.

Yeah she can replace subject Zero

Great read LW kinda forgot to comment at part 2 woops, Sith being civil always feels kinda odd to me eating drinking etc poisening each other seems much more in character
Dont worry about using Neabel too much (as long as your not planning to kill him ) its good to see they're alive and well after the the events of AWS which would have been over by now.